Blue Dragon
 

I did a search, and suprisingly found no thread for this game. It launched in Japan, to "Lines:"
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/12409/...p-for-Xbox-360

There are several gameplay movies at: www.gametrailers.com

I'm sure you guys can find more.

Microsoft NEEDS this game, and Lost Odysee, to be successful to have any kind of respectability in Japan. Anecdotaly, my girlfriend is in Japan. Her brother waited in line for a PS3 and Resistance, no interest in Blue Dragon.

I bought into the Xbox because of Project Ego and Morrowind, but I haven't played a real Japanese turn-based RPG since Skies of Arcadia. Very much looking forward to this one!

I really don,t like this game, well at least for what I saw. First I don't like Toriyama, but I know that's not a reason, but even that the graphic are pretty basic to me, the gameplay look very boring and I'm not talking about the music >.>

It disappointing because when I first heard about that game, i thought it would be something to look for the 360, but now the more video they show about this game, the more I dislike it...

It kind of sad because this could have been the first good rpg on the xbox, but I guess we'll still have to wait, because I don't think that lost odyssey will even be any good too >.>

Could have? I guess your opinion is the end all opinion.

Oh and wait, isn't Oblivion one of, if not the greatest RPG of all time.

well that's my opinion >.> and this my opinion just by the look of the video, so maybe the ending product will impress me....

by first rpg I meant like xbox only title, because enchanted arms was a little disappointing to... Oblivion was a PC game at first...

At first...NO sir it was not.


And anyway, IGN and 1UP are loving the game and saying that is fantastic with visuals to marvel at, so I am looking forward to it. ALso they say its three discs. Oblivion was one disc, how can this be over?

Blue Dragon seems to be very nice, at least on the story, i read some things now that the game was released in Japan and well, Sakaguchi says some time ago "if you cry with this game, we will have made well our work".

I also like Toriyama, i cant deny that he didnt progress too much on his artworks in those days, even the logo of the game is really too similar to Dragon Ball (the manga logo), but im very sure that he is trying to make his best work, at least its seems that finally Toriyama learns to draw the girls much better than before (Burp ecchi comment of the day)

Im getting my hopes up with this, but i just can say one thing: If this game doesnt save the Xbox 360 in Japan, NOTHING WILL DO IT (Even the other Mistwalker game, Lost Odyssey, the "otaku way" of the game is too mainstream for be ignored in Japan... at least that the Japanese are still thinking "the game rocks, but the hardware is still not Japanese, get out")

I agree, those movies DO look boring. However, most RPG movies look boring, unless you're watching the CG's. I like the art that I've seen, and can't wait to see a real JRPG on the X360.

Yeah, it's going to be pretty sweet to play and RPG with that kind of art style that pratically looks EXACTLY how it's supposed to... can't wait.

The last JRPG I played and liked was Skies of Arcadia on Dreamcast, it had a nice atmosphere, a good sense of scale and had a whimsical aura to it. Much like Azel before it, Skies was one of the very few JRPGs I could say that felt accomplishing. Mind you, I am more into Western RPGs like Fallout.

So with that, the more I see Blue Dragon, the more it reminds me of Skies of Arcadia and somewhat becomes a bit appealing. Only thing I don't like is that it is helmed by Final Fantasy creator and the art direction of the characters. An like every FF game before it, I expect it's gameplay to fall flat after a few hours. But I am willing to give it a shot.

I expect Blue Dragon to be more like Dragon Quest, ultimately. It's probably going to be a very traditional J-RPG. I don't expect a groundbreaking story or in-depth character development, but as long as the combat system and gameplay is alright, this might turn out to be as good and entertaining as Dragon Quest VIII.

Damn. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, Blue Dragon was the fourth best-selling game of the week of Dec. 4 -10, with around 80,000 copies sold. It's probably the highest rank any X360 game will get in Japan.

Yeah, pretty much. However if the developers of Lost Odyssey pull their socks up REALLY high, they might be able to do better. We'll have to wait and see.

and what were games 1-3?

And in any case, the manga based on the game (or Ral Grado, those realy wanting the full storyof the game will have to wait for V jump to publish BLue Dragon SP) is a total laugh riot. Man, How long has it been since I had a protagonist who had his priorites _this_ stright?
being done by the Death Note dood helps a ton too.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: Rengou vs Z.A.F.T. II Plus, Ryuga Gotoku 2, and Pokemon Diamond.

It seems you've read my mind, I was thinking the exact same thing.

Dragon Quest is one of the most appealing RPG to Japan, doing a game like it may drive the japanese to buy an xbox360. Not only using that tradicional RPG style, they're using Toriama ... concidence ? (I think not)

Looks a little too kiddie for me i will probably enjoy the soundtrack a lot though
So i am looking forward to the soundtrack but not the game. Lost odyssey though is gonna be major badass :D

Cheers for that contribution to an otherwise long dead thread. You've improved my day no end and I look forward to your future contributions to the forum.

And I truly don't see the point of that reply shin. Besides the fact that he said it was kiddie and he wouldn't play it, it was still a decent enough post. I guess you are troubled by something though.

Oh and Shiru, it doesn't make you less of a man to play a possibly GODLY game with anime like characters.

I wouldn't mind playing it, as long as it winds up better than Enchant Arms.

Did anyone acutally play the demo on the OXM disc?

The thread had been dead since December 20th and he didn't exactly add to the discussion here. Still, if people want to talk about the game, I ain't going to stop them.

I’M very much looking forward to blue Dragon man. With so much creative power at hand it’s hard to say the game is bad. As well from what I’ve seen with the Japanese version it looks like a pretty sweet game. No mass effect in scale and size.....but very good none the less. Only problem I have with it is the fact I’m playing as some jerk off 5 year old who looks like a fake gohan. I can still deal though.

Graphics, music, and game play seem to all be here. Let’s hope the English voice-overs go well enough to bear

I'll probably get a 360 for this. Besides, both Mist Walker games are on this system so I don't have a choice =].

I gave the OST the ear and loved listening to a few tracks. The trailers and gameplay i checked on youtube is more than enough. The graphics looks awesome for a Toriyama design ^^:.

I'm 10 hours into the Asian release of Blue Dragon (NTSC-J, japanese/korean voices with fully english translated interface and subtitles). So far it plays like a kiddy mix of Xenogears and Chrono Cross, complete with backstory on ancient civilizations and arcane technology. The plot's only starting to pick up, I anticipate really good things with this game.

Only complaint so far is the low depth of field, I sometimes feel like I'm playing without my glasses on.

Yeah so it was finally confirmed to be released on August 28th even though most people predicted it to come out then anyway.

Gonna have Bioshock to compete with, but should attract mostly different crowds. I shall be getting both of course

Blue Dragon looks ok... but it's not the RPG for me... Eternal Sonata (Trusty Bell) looks more like something I'd actually play through.

The US demo of this is out FYI, and uh don't play it unless you want the entire second disc spoiled for you. What genius came up with introducing the demo at this point in the game? It seriously puts you right in the middle of one of the largest plot twists in the game.

I hate RPG demos that throw you in the middle of the game with every spell and attack in the book at your disposal. I'd rather play through the first dungeon of the game to see if its something I'd like or not.

I'm still gonna buy this game anyway. <3

Demo was definitely on the whole, rather shitty. I still have faith the actual game will be better. Am I the only one who thinks honestly this game has the absolute nerdiest looking main character in any RPG ever though?

I've played the game through, and I can tell you that THE plot twist isn't on the second disc. So relax!

Is the rather abysmal frame rate in the demo present in the final game? Because, damn. It's hitting single digits here.

You only get absymal framerates when you

(minor disc 3 spoiler, probably in the demo but whatever)


otherwise it's smooth sailing.

is in the demo, yeah, and that's the worst offender, but there are frame rate issues with just some of the fancier spell effects too.http://colonelskills.belkanairforce....ages/ace/1.gif

Yes, but in command based classic RPGs it doesn't affect your ability to play the game. It just makes it look shittier.

You won't be seeing most of those fancy spells until near the end of the second disc / third disc anyway. You probably won't even be using them afterwards -- considering that, once you're mid-level, second tier spells will already be sufficient (if your sweeping physical attacks haven't already ended the encounter).

So blah, is this game actually good? Could you compare it to a few other RPGs?

Well, it's "good", if you're just looking for something simple. Parts of the game will remind you of, say, Xenogears and Chrono Cross, but overall Blue Dragon never manages to rise to their calibre due to its lack of challenge and slightly dumbed down feel, including the story and dialogue which can get mighty embarrassing at times. The game does introduce some novel features but it wears off early.

The biggest problem with the game is balance. The highest tier spells are left unused because you can get much better efficiency with lower tier spells; you virtually never get to use your strongest physical attacks; with the right passive skills engaged you won't even need to use any items. Apparently there's a patch out in Japan that ramps up the difficulty level (and one that adds a New Game Plus feature) but it's not available in the Asia Pacific yet.

But otherwise it is a well polished game. You'll probably even like the characters, despite their designs. Story isn't anything you haven't seen in other RPGs, but that's to be expected. Music is awesome.

Just finished this game off. I have to say I liked it. I'll agree with Blah that it's by no means difficult, and after exploring the world later in the game the last few area and bosses didn't present much of a challenge at all.

But the story is entertaining enough, if a little dumb at times, and the presentation is well handled. I love the look of the game, especially the use of depth of field (for the most part). There's some unfortunate slow down at times during battles, but mostly the animation is pretty good. And yeah, the music is awesome.

How bad is the slow down? what about screen tearing, any of that?

Not that I have a 360 yet ;/ But I do want to play this game.

Not bad at all really, certainly not enough to cause any actual bother, it's just a shame it happens.

Been playing the game for 2 hours, and I'm enjoying it. Its a good classic turn based RPG thats enjoyable enough. Not too innovative than, say, Eternal Sonata is gonna be, but so far it feels solid.

I have no interest in this game. I don't like Toriyama's style, except for his work on Chrono Trigger, and I'm tired of the traditional JRPG. The story doesn't sound all that appealing and come on we have next generation hardware. Take advantage of its capabilities and do something with it.

Well I didn't have any expectation from the story either just by the look and feel of it, and reading some comments, the story is more simplistic with a villian that isn't motivated by some inner turmoil. Cartoonish? Yeah. But to me so far, this is a game that seems more about gameplay than it is about some deep story.

Still, I do see your point, and I personally do wanna see more innovativeness using next gen hardware, like the whole real time player-customised overdrive animation Square is supposdly working on for FF13. While its nice to have a traditional turn based game now and then from the slew of real time ones, I wanna see more good blends of real time and turn base combat. Like VP2 or the up coming Eternal Sonata.

Still, BD is still fun for me, and I like the various skills and classes I can mix up and customise with my shadows.

As for Toriyama, completly agree there, though I DO like Zola in Blue Dragon designwise. So gonna use her as field character when I get her in my party.

Well, they did

http://www.bigblah.net/upload/img_0179.jpg

http://www.bigblah.net/upload/img_0189.jpg


By the way, here's how to get one of the achievements:

http://www.bigblah.net/upload/img_0201.jpg

I thought I'd explored the world pretty thoroughly, but can't say I came across that sight. I did wonder about that 10 at the same time thing as I never came across any particularly big crowds like that.

Roballs pop out of the ground in the wake of the and they disappear after a short while, so you have to string them up using Attract Aura or the stink status (one of the accessories will inflict it). It takes a few passes to collect that many, and you have to dodge any that try to attack you. If all goes well, though, they'll stall at a distance just out of attacking range, and you can wait for more to appear.

To those who complain about the game being too easy, there's a patch out that gives you Hard, Impossible, and New Game + mode.

All you need to do is make a Hong Kong SAR based gamertag on your Xbox Live account, which requires a phoney or alternate email address. After you registered, download the patch, load it up, and its ready to go.

It should work on all versions, even Australian, but I will test it out later this week on my Aussie 360 just to make sure. It definitly works on NA, so you guys are covered.

Impressions on Hard mode etc is that its much better, battles get alot of strategic and the combat and skills systems truly shine in the harder modes. I say you guys need to get it. Its free and all you need is a broadband connection. What've you got to lose?

Oh right. I thought it looked like the Roballs who pop out after the aforementioned, but didn't think of 'collecting' them like that.

Kairi Li: I've heard about the downloadable pack to make it harder, and the New+ mode, and I don't know if I'd play through the game again (not for a while anyways), but it'd be nice if they released it as an available download for western gamers too.

Well if they dont, a Hong Kong Gamertag is all you need. After all, BD is getting overshadowed by other releases, I mean, sandwiched between Bioshock and Halo 3? Bad idea...

In the west true, though the idea of Blue Dragon was to try to appeal to Japanese gamers, so I doubt they were too concerned about where it fell in the US and Europe release schedule (I can't imagine they had hopes for huge sales for a very traditional JRPG styled in a very anime way). And anyways, there's loads of time between BioShock and Halo 3. I can't be alone in having found time to play it (and complete it) despite getting BioShock and having Halo 3 on order.

Plenty of time yeah, but most people are probably saving up their allowances or wages for Bioshock and Halo 3 and can't spare more. Not to mention in the West, when you get a 360, its mostly for sports or FPS games...

Pity, I like what BD offered as an old school RPG....Too bad its gonna be a niche title at best here. I just hope that patch works on Aussie consoles. New Game + are always nice.

I don't see a game having a smaller, but appreciative audience as a bad thing. Yes we all want other people to share the enjoyment in things we like, but at the end of the day I don't see what's so bad in things not holding universal appeal. I thoroughly enjoyed the game and would definitely recommend it to people I thought would also enjoy it, but I won't loose sleep over the fact that most people aren't all that interested in it.

Its official. As long as you get the Hong Kong gametag, you can download the patch, and it works on ALL versions. I'm playing hard mode right now on my Pal Australian Blue Dragon.

Is it particularly different?

Its harder thats for sure. If I was playing normal I prob would have survived more turns at the first boss - Fossil Dino thingy, than say, 2 turns.

Seriously, at lvl 7 for all my chars, he killed my party in 2 turns. Probably need to lvl a bit more. Healer was dead, had to use items and he still killed me. Even if I survived I would have spend on my turns using items or spells to heal.

Enemies defintly hit alot harder and are more durable than the normal mode. I say hard mode is better since it requires more strategy and lets you flex the various skills you get from the classes. I played about 3 hours in normal before I got the patch and restarted, and there was a notable harder difference. Normally what would have taken two attacks from two chars, now would take 3 or more to die.